Woody, Buzz Lightyear and all the rest of Andy's toys are together
again in the long-awaited follow-up to the 1996 mega-hit, "Toy Story."
We're back in Andy's room and Woody is about to go off to Cowboy
Camp with his owner, but an accident prevents the favorite toy from
going on the journey. What follows is a tale of action, adventure,
intrigue, loyalty and friendship in animation master John Lasseter's
latest entry for Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation with the
marvelous "Toy Story 2."

Robin's review of 'Toy Story 2':
"Brilliant" is the first word to come to mind when I think about
"Toy Story 2." Director Lassiter, with co-helmers Lee Unkrich and
Ash Brannon (both of "Toy Story" fame), have taken the wonderful
world they created in the original animation ground-breaker and
bring it to a new level. The computer-generated environ of the first
film is expanded to include a broader view of this fantastical land
where toys can walk, talk and have feelings and friendships. The
makers take it up a notch and further flesh out their already-real
characters as you get the chance to know them all better.

"Toy Story 2" picks up with Woody's boy, Andy (John Morris), about
to head off to camp. An unfortunate accident damages Woody's arm
and the beloved doll has to be, sadly, left behind by the boy. During
Andy's absence, his mom (Laurie Metcalf) decides to clean things
up around the house with a yard sale. One of the items from Andy's
room is an old, discarded and broken toy penguin that has lost his
squeeze-toy squeak. Woody, damaged but determined, immediately goes
to the rescue of little Wheezy (John Ranft) with the help of family
dog, Buster. Wheezy is saved, but Woody falls into the hands of
an unscrupulous toy store owner who greedily realizes Woody's worth
and kidnaps the toy.

Buzz Light Year (Tim Allen) and the rest of Woody's friends watch
helplessly as the conniving owner of Al's Toy Barn spirits their
leader and guardian away. Al knows that Woody is a valuable collector's
item from a TV puppet show in the 50's, "Woody's Roundup," and has
plans to use Woody as the lynchpin in a deal to sell a complete
collection of Roundup memorabilia to a Japanese toy manufacturer
as a high price museum piece. A rescue mission to save Woody is
set into motion and five volunteers - Buzz, Hamm (John Ratzenberger),
Slinky Dog (Jim Varney), Mr. Potato Head (Don Rickles) and Rex (Wallace
Shawn) - leave their safe home to search for and save their friend.
The resulting adventure delivers edge-of-your-seat action and entertainment
that you have to see for yourself.

This rip-roarin' action/adventure yarn has all the elements needed
to make this a true film-for-all-ages. Only the most jade and cynical
person would not look at "Toy Story 2" with wonder and fascination.
The story is a melding of many fundamentals of film that give it
complexity to appeal on many levels. The wonderful characters from
the first film are complemented with some new additions - Jessie
the Cowgirl (Joan Cusack), Stinky Pete the Prospector (Kelsey Grammer)
and Bull's Eye, Woody's loyal horse. The script, by Andrew Stanton,
Rita Hsiao, Doug Chamberlin and Chris Webb, weaves the old and new
toys into a seamless story that, along with the entertainment values
aimed at the kids, gives the adult viewer an incredibly intelligent
and witty level of humor and story.

Lasseter and company, while telling their adventure tale of rescue
and intrigue, level some sharp but funny barbs at many famous icons,
both in and out of the movie business. Keep your eyes and ears open
for good-natured riffs at "Jurassic Park," "Star Wars" and "Star
Trek: The Next Generation." Even Happy Meals get the writers' attention
here. There is nostalgia laced in with the action, too, with a faux
memorabilia world built around Woody and his TV show and real toys,
like Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots, getting a bow.

The technical side of things is astounding. From the very first
moments when the theater lights go down and an animated short with
the famous Pixar lamp hits the screen (Lasseter's first CGI film
for Pixar), you know you are seeing a true tour-de-force of animated,
heck, of any, filmmaking. John Lasseter is a true genius and a master
storyteller and animator who has a grasp of his medium that is second
to none. He and his crew have not only made a sequel that is the
real equal of the original, it stands up by itself in its creativity
and imagination. My absolute only quibble with the film is that
Kelsey Grammer was not quite right for the voice of Stinky Pete.
A gruffer, Gabby Hayes kind of voice would have suited better. Talk
about a nit pick.

"Toy Story 2" is a hands-down masterpiece and the best film of the
year, so far. Brave the holiday movie-going crowds and give yourself
and the family a real treat. I give it an A+.

Laura's review of 'Toy Story 2':
Here it is - the first A+ film of the year, "Toy Story 2." Simply
put, this is the best sequel since "The Godfather II." Mattel even
relented this time out and allowed Barbie to join the cast.

In these days of eBay and Beanie Babies, it's an ingenious idea
to make Woody (Tom Hanks) a vintage collectible covetted by the
nerdy owner of Al's Toy Barn. The screenplay by Andrew Stanton,
Rita Hsiao, Doug Chamberlin and Chris Webb is the most crowd-pleasingly
inventive of the year. Woody makes not one but two heroic rescues
(the first to protect Wheezy, a penguin who's lost his squeaker
and been relegated to a yard sale, sets up Woody's kidnapping).
Buzz Lightyear's (Tim Allen) challenge to rescue Woody across town
is rachetted up a few notches when he encounters hundreds of Buzzes
in the Toy Barn and gets boxed by an interloper. There's also his natural
enemy Emperor Zurg, who Rex the dinosaur (Wallace Shawn) has been
attempting to defeat in the Buzz Lightyear video game, made 'flesh,'
er plastic. Delightfully clever references to "Jurassic Park," "Star
Wars," Pixar's own Oscar winning short "Tin Toy" (watch carefully
when Hamm goes channel surfing!) and even "La Femme Nikita" will
have the adults howling.

New characters are seemlessly introduced - Jessie, the cowgirl (Joan
Cusack), Stinky Pete (Kelsey Grammar), Bullseye, Woody's horse,
Wheezy (Joe Ranft), Mrs. Potatohead (Estelle Harris), Barbie, (Jodi
Benson, voice of "The Little Mermaid") Al McWhiggin, (Wayne Knight)
the Cleaner (Jonathan Harris) and Buster the family dog (introduced
in a charming fake-out scene). Perhaps most pleasing is that Woody
and Buzz's returning sidekicks, namely Slinky the Dog (Jim Varney),
Hamm (John Ratzenberger), Rex (Wallace Shawn) and Mr. Potatohead
(Don Rickles) step into the spotlight along with Woody and Buzz.
Even the characters of Etch and Spell are established more firmly,
with Etch used for police drawings and Spell as a crime database.

The film's technical achievement is at least as eye-popping as the
original. When Jessie sadly recounts her experiences with her owner
Emily, we see her being dragged from underneath a bed, yarn hair
and plastic face perfectly half covered with dust. A new world of
black and white television is created with "Woody's Roundup" as
seen on videotape, with Woody, Bullseye, Jessie and Stinky Pete
as stringed marionettes.

Composer Randy Newman returns, as does the "You've Got a Friend
in Me" theme, with an additional entry for Jessie - "When She Loved
Me," sung by Sarah McLachlan.

Inventive, hilarious, witty, touching and exhiliarting, (the final
climatic scene which follows an airline's baggage handling system
is heart stopping) "Toy Story 2" is that rarest of things - a perfect
film.

A+

MANSFIELD PARK

Fanny Price's mother didn't fare as well as her two sisters, the
now wealthy Lady Bertram and her respectable head housekeeper Mrs.
Norris. Fanny, the eldest, is sent to her aunts at Mansfield Park,
where it is hoped she can make a better life for herself, although
it's made clear the child will never be on equal footing with her
cousins Maria and Julia. However, her cousin Edmund befriends the
young Fanny and loves her into adulthood, as she does him. Jane
Austen never lets lovers pair up easily, however, and the arrival
of Henry Crawford and his sister Mary set Mansfield Park on its
ear.

Laura's review of
'Mansfield Park':
Adapted from the titular Jane Austen novel as well as Austen's letters
and early journals, writer/director Patricia Rozema ("I've Heard
the Mermaids Singing") presents the most personal viewpoint on Austen's
works yet. This film has generated some controversy, most recently
at the London Film Festival, because 1) Austen's own character is
applied to her heroine, 2) there's a lesbian seduction, 3) an actual
sex scene and 4) a significant subplot regarding slavery.

I find the first to be
a good idea - why not merge Austen's own words with those of her
heroine? As to the second and third, they're presented much more
subtly than the film's naysayers would have one believe as well
as being present in the source material - after all, "Sense and
Sensibility's" plot included an unwed mother even if we didn't see
her being deflowered on screen. The slavery subtext is of its time
(1804) and provides character motivation, social conflict and a
metaphor for the state of womanhood in general.

We first meet Fanny Price
as a young girl (played by Hannah Taylor Gordon of "Jakob the Liar")
being sent by her mother to 'live with her aunts.' Fanny doesn't
realize that she's the poor relation being sent to better her position
in life until she arrives at the manorial Mansfield Park and immediately
sets off a conflict between her aunt the head housekeeper, Mrs.
Norris (Sheila Gish, "Highlander") and her other aunt's husband,
Sir Thomas Bertram (playwright Harold Pinter). She's shooshed into
an anteroom where she overhears that she is to stay in the main
house, not the housekeeper's home, although she will, of course,
not be made aware that she's not the equal of her four cousins.
Fanny's given a dusty unheated room and begins to cry, drawing her
cousin Edmund in to cheer her up and begin a lifelong devoted friendship.

Shift to adulthood and the arrival of the fashionable and handsome
Henry Crawford (Alessandro Nivola, "Face/Off") and his sister Mary
(Embeth Davidtz, "Schindler's List"). As Fanny's just written to
her sister Susan back home (Rozema has her address these letters
directly to the camera), the eldest Bertram girl, Maria (Victoria
Hamilton "Persuasion") has just become engaged to a Mr. Rushworth
(Hugh Bonneville, "Notting Hill"), a not too bright, none too handsome
man worth 12,000 pounds a year. When the Crawfords enter the Bertram
drawing room, everyone's set atwitter, particularly Maria (much
to younger sister Julia's petulance). Even Lady Betram (Lindsay
Duncan, "An Ideal Husband," who also plays Fanny's mother) struggles out
of her opium- induced stupor to be charmed by the newcomers.

Fanny's dismayed to find that not only does her beloved Edmund (Jonny
Lee Miller, "Trainspotting") have eyes for Mary (he's been guided
away from Fanny by his father), but that Henry's asked for her hand
after carrying on outrageous flirtations with Maria. When Fanny
refuses to obey Sir Thomas, correctly pegging Henry as a cad, she's
sent back to her home in Portsmouth and is once again of a social
class that doesn't belong.

This being Austen, all will get what they deserve and Rozema's devised
a clever way to draw Fanny back to Mansfield Park that will pit
her once again against Sir Thomas - this time in defense of others
enslaved, including his eldest son Tom, who's fallen seriously ill
after having desertted his father on a business journey to Antigua.
Australian actress Frances O'Connor ("Love and Other Catastrophes,"
"Kiss or Kill") is a bright and intelligent Austen heroine, seeming
of the period and modern at the same time. Jonny Lee Miller, rather
dull in "Afterglow," is spot on as the second son heading towards
the clergy with his head on his shoulders, enjoyment of life's pleasures
intact and a true empathy for his fellow human beings (even if he
is a bit dense when it comes to romantic love). Embeth Davidtz really
sinks her teeth into Mary with a genteel, seductive exterior distracting
from her manipulatively ambitious nature. Lindsay Duncan is quite
effective in a dual role - pampered wealthy drug addict on one hand,
embittered suffering wife and mother on the other ('Don't forget
that I married for love,' she advises Fanny). Harold Pinter is a
strong force as the morally conflicted gentleman who must come to realize
that none of his own children have the backbone or principles of
his inheritted poor relation.

Camerawork by Michael Coulter swoops over the English coastline
when not engaged by interior production design by Christopher Hobbs
and art direction by Andrew Munro. Lighting seems natural for overcast
English weather. Costumes by Andrea Galer, hair and makeup are all
believable for the period, with Fanny's mannish shirts and jumpers
and tailored velvet coatdress making her stand out in her elegant
simplicity.

Rozema's made a bit of a gamble with some of her choices for her
Austen adaptation and they've paid off. While "Mansfield Park" doesn't
boast the high calibre Hollywood star wattage and gloss of "Sense
and Sensibility," it offers a more thought-provoking viewpoint.

A-

END OF DAYS

It's December 28, 1999, three days before the end of the millennium.
A young woman is being hunted by the biggest bad guy of all, Satan,
to become the mother of his child at the last hour of the Millennium.
At the moment of conception of the Anti-Christ, forces of evil will
be unleashed and destroy mankind. Fate brings alcoholic ex-cop Jericho
Cane (Arnold Schwarzenegger) up against the Dark Lord in a battle
to save the girl, and an unwary humankind, from the ultimate evil
in "End of Days."

Robin's
review of 'End Of Days':
The last "good" thing Arnold Schwarzenegger had done was the overly
long but entertaining "True Lies" in 1994. That actioner combined
its roller coaster ride of thrills, humor and good characters in
a neat package that aimed to amuse.

"End of Days" lacks all of these things, and more - like an interesting
plot that doesn't rip off nearly every major horror and monster
film genre made in the last 30 years. "The Omen," "Rosemary's Baby,"
"Predator," "The Exorcist" and other films provide ample material
for the screenplay by Andrew W. Marlowe. The story doesn't necessarily
rip off these classics, but borrows liberally enough from all to
eliminate any originality in this saga of the Apocalypse. "End of
Days" is, for all of its big budget ($80 million?), a routine formula
flick. The downtrodden hero is called upon to save the life of the
beautiful young heroine from the clutches of evil. Plug in Satan,
the Millennium, the end of mankind and a bunch of pyrotechnics and
you have "End of Days." The serious tone of the subject matter also
hurts since Arnie doesn't get to have the sassy tag lines his more
tongue-in-cheek characters usually bring. There's no "I'll be back!"
or "You are one ugly mother"!" to give the audience a humor boost.
When you're going toe-to-toe with the Dark Lord, I guess it's inappropriate
to make fun of him.

The somber seriousness of "End of Days" (which is a catchy title)
cloaks the whole film with a self-importance that makes the idea
of the story better than its execution. Director Peter Hyams plods,
uninspired, through the salient points of the plot, garnering a
wooden performance from Arnie and not much more. This combination
makes the film 2+ hours' worth of tedium. Schwarzenegger gives his
least engaging performance since the Conan films, looking more constipated
than anguished as he tries to save the girl, and the world, from
Satan's evil clutches. Arnie isn't cut out for a straight dramatic
role and looks tired and worn out here.

The supporting cast does not fare much better, with the exception
of Robin Tunney as the babe who Satan set his sights on to be Mamma.
Christine York is both vulnerable (after all, it is THE Devil) and
resourceful as she helps Arnie battle the Prince of Darkness. Tunney
gives some character and depth to the role so she comes across as
more than the helpless bimbo she might have been. She's pretty,
too. Kevin Pollack gives some smart ass humor to his sidekick role,
but stupid story lines make him more of a silly distraction later
in the film. Gabriel Byrne makes a game attempt to give some wicked
humor to his Satan-in-the-body-of-a-man character, but the chances
are far too few. More attention to the dark satire of the Devil
among Man would have helped immensely. Rod Steiger, CCH Pounder
and Miriam Margolyes are wasted in meaningless roles.

Special F/X are kept to a relative minimum for the bulk of the film,
being saved up for the grand finale. And, since we're dealing with
Satan and Hell and stuff, there are lots of fire effects and explosions
in the last half-hour. A "Predator"-style effect of Satan searching
for a suitable host body, moving about just beyond being seen, is
used liberally but grows boring quickly. The big bang ending, with
its giant puppet Devil belching brimstone as Jericho saves Christine,
is little more than smoke and mirrors. To its credit, the film looks
good. Cinematographer Peter Hyams (he did double duty with his helming
responsibilities) vividly captures the vibrancy and color of the
film's dark nature, giving the big finale a snappy, crisp look that
is too good for this dud.

"End of Day" preaches at you about good versus evil, Heaven versus
Hell and Man's faith in God (with a little help from Arnie's Glock)
but is pretty boring in the telling. Arnie saves the world, once
again, without the average Joe ever being aware just how close we
were to the End. I wish I were never aware of "End of Days." I give
it a D+.

LAST NIGHT

In Toronto, Sandra (Sandra Oh, "Double Happiness") tries to find
a bottle of wine in a store swept of merchandise as outside vandals
tip her car on end. Patrick Wheeler (Don McKellar, "The Red Violin")
arrives at his parents' house for a Christmas celebration to be
admonished for arriving an hour late and for planning on returning
to his apartment rather than staying. Craig (Callum Keith Rennie,
"eXistenZ") is about to have sex with a black woman for the first
time and Duncan (David Cronenberg) is calling his customers to assure
them they will have gas service until the end. What do these people
all have in common? They're choosing how to spend their last six
hours on earth in writer/director/star Don McKellar's "Last Night."

Laura's review of
'Last Night':
"Last Night" is Don McKellar's response to a request to make a film
about the millenium (Hal Hartley's "Book of Life" was another entry
in this series). Misunderstanding the assignment somewhat, McKellar
thought about the end of the world. Forgoing, the disaster pyrotechnics
of such films as "Armageddon," McKellar became introspective, asking
his friends what they'd do in these circumstances. Their answers
- 'spend it with loved ones,' 'in reflection,' 'having sex' and
'partying' have all been incorporated into his bittersweet and surprisingly
hopeful film.

In addition to the main
characters, we also have Duncan's loyal assistant Donna (Tracy Wright,
"Highway 61"), who clearly has a thing for him and stays on at the
gas company offices after he departs; Mrs. Carlton (Genevieve Bujold,
"Dead Ringers"), Patrick and Craig's former French teacher and Jennifer
(Sarah Polley, "Go") and Alex (Trent McMullen, "Tommy Boy"), Patrick's
sister and her boyfriend. That McKellar manages to have these characters
all overlap in six hours without a hint of Hollywood plot-serving
coincidence and never overtly give an explanation for the end of
the world at midnight displays the elegance of his writing.

About half of these characters
spend the end exactly as they set out to - Jennifer and Alex join
a street party that resembles Times Square on New Year's Eve, complete
with a climatic countdown; Craig realizes one sexual fantasy after
another, a friend of Patrick's performs his first solo piano recital.
However, Patrick's plans are set seriously amiss when he finds Sandra
dejectedly sitting on his doorstep and reluctantly agrees to let
her use his telephone. In trying to help Sandra make it across town
to be with her husband (another of the cast of characters already
introduced and surprising revealed near the film's end), a deep
connection is formed between the two characters, with Patrick finally
agreeing to take Sandra's husband's place in a final suicide pact
('you'll know when it's time').

The ensemble cast is terrific. McKellar has infused Patrick with
a melancholy aloneness, which he's unwilling to break out of since
the death of his kindergarten teacher wife (his apartment is adorned
with children's get well drawings). Sandra Oh shines the most as
Sandra, the serious, yet emotional woman who's willing to connect
with a stranger when she can't reach her husband of three months.
Callum Keith Rennie is amusing with his sexual agenda, particularly
when he comes on to Patrick. Bujold is dignified and self assured
as Mrs. Carlton - funny too when stopping to grill Patrick on his
French while leaving Craig's apartment after a bout of May/September
sex. Cronenberg is perfectly cast as the gas company executive delivering
meaningless messages to people's answering machines (beautifully
recalled when the gas fireplace in Patrick's parents' house sputters
out) and calmly dealing with an armed looter. Tracy Wright is touching
as his assistant who admits to a secret indulgence - she has a drink
at six p.m. if she works past that hour. She'll end up crossing
paths with another member of the cast after cruising the Internet with
her pint of Scotch. Sarah Polley doesn't have much to work with here,
although Roberta Maxwell ("The Postman") and Robin Gammel ("Sister
Act II") strike perfect notes as Jennifer and Patrick's parents.

Technically, the film shows it's low budget origins, with slightly
muddy camerawork by Douglas Koch. Production design by John Dondertman
is solid.

McKellar was smart to not tie his film to 1999. Hopefully the humanity
of "Last Night" will be relected upon for years to come.

B+

Robin's review of 'Last Night':
It's the end of the millennium and, it turns out, the end of the
world, too. This fact has been known for some months, now, and is
accepted by all - to varying degrees. Patrick (Don McKellar) has
decided that he wants to be alone at the end. Recently-wed Sandra
(Sandra Oh) wants only to get home to her husband, Duncan (David
Cronenberg), and, at the last second, commit joint suicide. Patrick's
mom (Roberta Maxwell) treats it as the last Christmas and wants
to gather her family around her. Most of the rest of the world just
wants to party down to the countdown in the melancholy tale of the
Apocalypse in "Last Night."

Writer/actor Don McKellar makes his feature film directing debut,
telling his original story of the personal lives of a few everyday
folks who, along with the rest of the world, are facing certain
extinction at the close of the millennium. It's six o'clock on that
evening and everyone on earth is preparing for the end. Some are
heading to gatherings of hundreds of thousands at city centers around
the world and plan to party hardy right up to the end. Others plan
to stay home and watch TV 'til it's over. Many just want to be with
their loved ones. A few even continue to work at their jobs, like
Duncan, a gas company employee who call everyone of his customers
to assure them that they will continue to get safe, dependable natural
gas right up to the end.

Of course, things don't always go off as planned for some. Sandra,
stopping to gather the fixings for one last meal with her husband,
has her car carried off by a crowd and destroyed, stranding her.
She has no way to get home and begs Patrick, who she meets by chance,
to help her. Patrick is torn between his solitude and his humanity,
finally deciding to help the woman. Patrick doesn't have a car,
but knows someone who does - his friend Craig. Craig (Callum Keith
Rennie) decided, when the end became known, that his life goal,
these last months on earth, is to experience every sexual carnality
he has every wanted, and he wanted a lot! Patrick and Sandra catch
him right after he finished having sex with his high school French
teacher, Mrs. Carlton (Genevieve Bujold), one his many fantasies.
After some haranguing, Craig finally relinquishes the keys to his prize
vehicle.

Sandra's plight is far from over, even with the car. The thousands
converging on the city for the Last Night celebration block the
path between her and home. She turns back to Patrick for help and
frantically tries to call her husband, leaving message after message
on their answering machine. As her hopes of celebrating the end
with Duncan dwindle, she realizes just what a nice guy Patrick is.
This bittersweet tale dovetails into several story threads as Sandra's
journey touches on others and they are briefly scrutinized as their
last hours unfold. Although not as complexly drawn as, say, Robert
Altman's "Short Cuts," which covered some 26 characters and a dozen
stories, McKellar does weave a pretty nice tapestry of interconnecting
lives.

Most notable of all of the performers is Sandra Oh (TV's "Arli$$").
The fear, confusion and loneliness she shows is palpable to the
viewer in its desperation. It is a hard, dramatic perf and Oh is
exemplary. Callum Keith Rennie, as the randy Craig, comes across
well, too, as he ticks off the realizations of all his sexual fantasies,
but in a good-natured way. Genevieve Bujold gives a sensitive performance
as the schoolteacher - as she and Craig part, she meets Patrick,
an old student, and immediately begins quizzing him on his French
in a funny, touching scene. David Cronenberg is a pleasant surprise
as the dedicated Duncan. Roberta Maxwell is compelling as the family
matriarch who wants her family around her one last time. McKellar,
though a central figure in the film, keeps a step back in favor
of the other actors.

There is a distinct Canadian sensibility in McKellar's crafting
of the film around his story. He avoids the American filmmakers'
need to punch up a film about the Apocalypse with flashy F/X and
action. The writer/helmer takes a simpler, more elegant path and
shows the acceptance of the end of the world. The wry humor he uses
cuts away any morbidness that the material could have had. The subject
is a relentless one, but McKellar gives it a freshness that actually
leaves you with a glimmer of hope for humanity, even as it becomes
extinct.

The weak link in the film is the technical quality of the image
on the screen. The obviously low budget is apparent from the start
with its murky, almost gloomy, look and marginal audio. Hopefully,
McKellar will get a bigger budget next time around. He knows his
way around a story and, as an actor himself, knows how to elicit
complex characters from his thesps.

I've been familiar with Don McKellar as an actor and screenwriter
for a number of years and have always liked his work. He shows solid
ability behind the camera, too, and will do well as a writer/director,
if "Last Night" is any indication. I like it and give it a B+.

PRINCESS MONONOKE

Acclaimed Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki took his country by storm
in 1997 with the blockbuster hit, "Princess Mononoke," earning an
incredible $150 million in a country with half the population of
the United States and 1/10th the movie screens. Now, the long-awaited
English-language version (co-scripted by Neil Gaiman of "Sandman"
comics fame) is finally here in this tale of war between Man and
Nature, starring the vocal talents of Billy Crudup, Minnie Driver,
Claire Danes, Billy Bob Thornton and more.

Robin's
review of 'Princess Mononoke':
Miyazaki pulls no punches in this ambitious story that focuses upon
the adventures of Prince Ashitaka. The young warrior saves his village
in the north of Japan from destruction by a wild boar-demon gone
mad from the poisons of a rifle ball from the far off land of the
Tatara Ba - Iron Town. When Ashitaka kills the giant boar, he is
cursed by the same poisons and must journey to the distant frontier
to find an answer to the curse. He is also thrust into a brewing
war between the humans of the town and the creatures of the forests
as the two forces vie for control of the land.

One of the creatures is no animal or demon, but a human girl adopted
by a wolf tribe in the forests. San (the Princess of the title)
was nurtured by the lupine clan after her real parents were killed.
Raised by Moro (Gillian Anderson), the leader of the wolves, San
has dedicated her life to saving the forest and fights those who
would destroy it. The prince and princess form a shaky alliance
and are joined by a variety of creatures. Besides the wolf clan,
there are an ape tribe, giant boars and a race of amorphous tree
spirits (who, truth be told, are more like a psychedelic hallucination
than ethereal ghost-like creatures) joining the fray.

The humans of Iron Town are led by the Lady Eboshi (Minnie Driver);
a strong willed woman who rules her fortress town with a mix of
compassion and obsession. The folks employed at her forge are made
up of former prostitutes and the downtrodden of society and are
utterly loyal to the lady for her kindness and care. Although Eboshi
is obsessed with protecting her outpost town, she is also convinced
to help the Emperor secure the forest from the gods of the land.
She agrees to help the monk, Jigo (Billy Bob Thornton), to take
the head of the forest god, securing the Emperor's rule and her
town.

"Princess Mononoke" is technically beautiful with great attention
to the animation detail. Miyazaki relies primarily on traditional
cel animation, but also utilizes computer-generated imagery to give
the film a fluidity that makes it equal to live action movies. The
overall look of the film is high quality and has a Japanese, rather
than American, animation style. "Princess Mononoke" is an epic tale
with the attention to animated detail suiting the adventure.

The vocal talents providing the English-language dubbing do a fair,
though unremarkable, job. Billy Crudup is serviceable as the voice
of Prince Ashitaka. Claire Danes is dull as the wolf girl, San,
but is fortunately silent for most of the film. Minnie Driver gives
strength and dignity to her performance as the powerful leader of
Iron Town, Lady Eboshi. Billy Bob Thornton is the most off as Jigo,
the monk, sent to get the head of the forest god for the emperor.
(I kept thinking that Ernest Borgnine would have better suited the
sly, mirthful Jigo.) Jada Pinkett-Smith is amusing as the saucy
forewoman at the forge.

The story, by Miyazaki, is ambitious in its scope and complexity.
Overall, it works well with a rich layering of story lines tightly
woven together in a briskly rendered telling that seldom flags.
There are lots of characters and ancillary stories, which do tend
to cause things to get a little too complicated to keep the attention
of the younger viewers. It is a world created by the animation master
that mixes myth and fantasy.

"Princess Mononoke" is aimed at a more mature crowd than, say, "Pokemon:
The First Movie" and is a lot more satisfying. I give it a B+.

Laura's review of
'Princess Mononoke':
Hayao Miyazaki ("My Neighbor Tortoro," "Kiki's Delivery Service")
is considered the Japanese Walt Disney, yet while the lushness of
his anime, particularly in the drawing of animals both 'cute' and
lifelike, give credence to the comparison, his perspective is so
uniquely his own (and Japanese?), that he really shouldn't be compared
to anybody.

In his epic, ecologically minded tale "Princess Mononoke," wild
boar gods become demons covered with writhing worms that enable
it to walk like a spider and lepers run an arms factory while ex-brothel
girls work the bellows of an iron mill. Friendly tree spirits resemble
the hell-spawn minister of Beetlejuice while the forest spirit himself
is an amalgamation of about five different creatures (and becomes
the nightwalker, which resembles nothing known to man, after the
sun sets).

"Princess Mononoke" is a complex tale about man's ability to thrive
without destroying the earth's natural assets. Lady Eboshi, a strong
female character, is a fifteenth century feminist (in Japan, yet!)
who's charitable towards humans yet fiercely 'practical' when it
comes to other forms of life. She's a unique creation - both heroine
and villain. Minnie Driver, so terrific as "Tarzan's" Jane, creates
another top notch vocal characterization as Eboshi for the American
version of the film. Billy Crudup speaks for Prince Ashitaka, a
young man cursed by the demon he slays to save his village. Sent
by his village's wise woman to the west, he becomes the bridge between
the humans and nature, as represented by San, a wolf-girl and the
titular Princess (blandly voiced by Claire Danes).

The film is violent, fantastical, grittily realistic and often very
funny ('I hate him - I hate all humans!' declares Mononoke, until
a wolf presents her with a pendant. 'From Ashitaka? For me? Pretty!'
And how like a woman....) A mercenary monk (voice of Billy Bob Thornton)
also provides some laughs.

The animation is powerful - I don't recall seeing a dissolve used
with animation before (Eboshi surrounded by flame and sparks during
battle on a hillside as slowing Ashikata's face dissolves over the
frame in closeup - stunning) and the sight of Mononoke scuttling
over rooftops in her warrior getup is breathtaking. Water imagery
is often magical - it's a healing element in this tale. The film,
which runs almost two and a half hours, is paced exceedingly well
and never feels too long. Music by Joe Hisaishi is too reminiscent
of other films.

"Princess Mononoke" is a unique achievement in animation for an
adult audience. See Miyazaki's earlier works for the kids.

B

FLAWLESS

Walt Koontz (Robert DeNiro) is a retired security guard, living
in a run down NYC apartment building, trying to ignore the drug
dealers, hookers and drag queens that live around him. When a drug
deal goes bad and Walt hears gunfire, his instincts force him to
action, but he suffers a stroke before he can stop Amber, a young
hooker, from being killed. Rusty (Philip Seymour Hoffman, "Happiness"),
tries to assist Walt, touched that he got hurt trying to save Rusty's
friend, but homophobic Walt rebuffs him. Necessity takes him to
Rusty's door, however, to take singing lessons as a form of therapy
and an unlikely alliance is begun.

Laura's review of
'Flawless':
Writer/director Joel Schumacher is on much surer footing with "Flawless"
than his disappointing "8MM" and last "Batman" installment. "Flawless"
isn't, however, suffering from cliche and an overly fussy crime
subplot that distracts from the main attraction - the bonding of
two unlikely characters. Philip Seymour Hoffman so totally embodies
his gay drag queen character that I may have had a hard time figuring
out who the actor was if I didn't already know going in, and Schumacher
gives Hoffman plenty of sharp lines. However, as much as Hoffman
is believable as a drag queen, the script forces things one step
further, trying to make us believe he's a pre-op transsexual and
this I just didn't buy (as I did with Hillary Swank in "Boys Don't
Cry.") Robert DeNiro is OK as the stroke victim, but one becomes
too attentive to watching him curl his lips around his teeth in
order to speak out of only one side of his mouth to make the performance
appear truly natural. And again, the script paints Walt as a man
of lousy character assessment - he picks the whore as a girlfriend
(Wanda de Jesus) and calls her a class act while calling the obvious nice
girl (Daphne Rubin-Vega) the whore and later reveals that an act
of heroism that garnered him notice from Mayor Koch became a sham
when the 'best friend' he saved set him up.

As Rusty and Walt begin to confide in each other (and Rusty's drag
queen pal's take Walt under their wings, much to the amusement of
Walt's buddies), Schumacher keeps cutting to the local drug lord's
henchmen shaking down residents of the building, looking for the
stolen cash they never recovered after shooting Amber. The shifty
desk clerk Leonard (Barry Miller, "Saturday Night Fever") is also
beholden to them, so helps them gain access to whoever they want
to terrorize (which we just know will eventually be Rusty, who's
also victimized by his macho, married Italian boyfriend). This entire
subplot adds nothing to "Flawless" but excess running time and certainly
wasn't necessary to enable Rusty and Walt to meet or to put Rusty
in harm's way at the film's conclusion. Another lesser subplot is
about the Flawless drag competition, which also offers nothing to
the film, and in fact drags it down a little with its tired scenes
of fighting queens.

To give Schumacher credit, "Flawless" has the rough look of an NYC
indie. Director of Photography Declan Quinn and Production Designer
Jan Roelfs capture urban grit. The relatively high mark, though,
is almost all due to Hoffman.

C+

THE GREEN MILE

Paul Edgecomb (Tom Hanks) is a prison guard in Southern Cold Mountain
prison circa 1935 when a most unusual man, John Coffey (Michael
Clarke Duncan, "Armageddon"), a 7 foot black man convicted of murdering
two little girls, is placed on death row. Edgecomb comes to doubt
Coffey's guilt when subjected to the gentle giant's sweet nature
and supernatural powers in director Frank Darabont's ("The Shawshank
Redemption") second Stephen King adaptation, "The Green Mile."

Laura's
review of 'The Green Mile':
1999's holiday season is bringing on an onslaught of
literary adaptations to the screen with "The Green Mile" being
one of the most hotly anticipated (Darabont's "The Shawshank Redemption"
currently stands at #4 with 8.8/10 on the Internet Movie Database's
top 250 list). While it's a solid, good old-fashioned kind of
film with many qualities, it's excess length (187 minutes), 'have
it both ways' ending (admittedly a problem with the source material,
but more obvious somehow in the film) and a few other minor flaws
keep it from being the masterpiece I was hoping for.

The film begins with Edgecomb as an old man (played
by veteran actor Dabbs Greer in his 100th film performance) sneaking
out of his nursing home for mysterious daily walks in the woods.
When questioned by his friend Elaine after he breaks down in the
TV room watching an old Astaire/Rogers flick, Paul begins to tell
his tale and we go into flashback mode.

His tale is begun recounting the extremity of a urinary
infection he suffered in 1935 (Hanks now has several memorable
peeing scenes to add to the one from "A League of Their Own" on
his resume). He's a decent man supervising both death row's guards
and inmates and is responsible for the executions that take place
at Cold Mountain. While most of his men are as decent as he, Paul's
saddled with Percy (Doug Hutchinson, "A Time to Kill"), nephew
of the governor's wife and a mewling sadist.

The role of Paul Edgecomb would seem tailor made for
Hanks and he's just fine in it, although it's about time that
Hanks attempts to grow and play against his own type. David Morse
is beautifully understated as Brutus, Paul's right hand man. Barry
Pepper ("Saving Private Ryan") and Jeffrey DeMunn round out Paul's
men. Hutchinson is terrific as a man you love to hate, as is Sam
Rockwell ("Box of Moonlight") as inmate "Wild Bill," who gives
the guards something on Percy more than once and is feared by
John Coffey who calls him 'a bad man.' Michael Clarke Duncan,
who was about the only saving grace of "Armageddon," perfectly
suits the simple, miraculous Coffey, whose initials are heavily
symbolic. Graham Greene is given little to do as the first prisoner
to be executed except show the guards' compassion, but Michael Jeter
("The Fisher King") as Delacroix gives a beautiful performance
as the Cajun prisoner who eventually owns and trains Mr. Jingles,
an extraordinary mouse, and suffers the most at the hands of Percy.
Bonnie Hunt ("Jumanji") is fine as Edgecomb's understanding wife.
James Cromwell ("L.A. Confidential") and Patricia Clarkson ("High
Art") are somewhat disappointing as Warden Moores and his ill
wife. Gary Sinise ("Forrest Gump") shows up for one interesting
scene with Hanks and William Sadler ("Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey")
portrays the father of the two murdered little girls.

Coffey, who first shows his strange gift by curing
Paul's bladder infection (he seemingly sucks in the badness, which
causes light bulbs to glow brighter, then expels a cloud of flying
bugs as in "The Mummy"), is eventually used by Paul to help the
warden's wife, who's dying of an inoperable brain tumor. This
scene, which is one of the film's climaxes, plays off kilter,
mostly due to Cromwell's off timing and Clarkson's left of center
reactions (Duncan is fine in the scene). The lighting used for
the 'miracle effects' could have been a little more unworldly
or subtle instead of giving the impression of a lit jack-o-lantern.
On the flip side, the execution scenes (there are three in the film),
are a marvel of simple effects that are truly 'effective,' even
horrific. Darabont, his cinematographer David Tattersall ("Con
Air") and production designer Terence Marsh do a marvelous job
keeping things visually interesting, especially when most of the
film's running time takes place in a short corridor of cells.
A suitable score by Thomas Newman ("The Shawshank Redemption")
refrains from overtly melodramatic surges.

"The Green Mile" is a solidly crafted film telling
a complexly layered story that features a beautifully satisfying,
if bittersweet, finale. It will stand as one of the very best
King adaptations.

B+

Robin's
review of 'The Green Mile':
ROBIN: Helmer Frank Darabont and horror novelist Stephen King
teamed together in 1995 to create the near-brilliant film, "The
Shawshank Redemption." They pair together again in Darabont's
adaptation of King's serial novel, "The Green Mile," starring
Tom Hanks as Paul Edgecomb, the Death Row supervisor for the State
of Louisiana Corrections system during the Depression.

The story begins in present times, with an elderly
Paul (Dabbs Greer), living in a supervised care facility, taking
long, secretive walks carrying his ritual two pieces of dry toast.
While watching an old movie on TV in the home's rec room one day,
the old man flashes back to another time and starts to cry uncontrollably.
His friend, Elaine (Eve Brent), takes him to a quieter place and
Paul unburdens himself to her and tells a mystical tale that he
swears is God's truth. It begins in 1935 on the Green Mile, the
nickname for Death Row, and, for Paul and his men, it's business
as usual. That is, until the arrival on the Mile of one very special
man John Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan).

Coffey was accused, tried and convicted of the brutal
murders of two young girls, the daughters of Louisiana farmer
Klaus Detterick (William Sadler). John was found hugging the battered
little bodies and moaning, over and over, "I was too late!" Sent
to Death Row for execution, the 7-foot-tall, 300 pound giant is,
initially, feared by his warders. John's gentle manner relaxes
the men until John snatches Edgecomb by the coat and drags him
right up to his cell, grabbing the man by the crotch! John has
been suffering from a severe and painful urinary infection and,
suddenly, after the John's touch, the excruciating pain is gone.
(This leads to an amusing little scene where Paul relieves himself
for the first time, in many weeks, without it "feeling like razor
blades.")

The tale that follows this lengthy introduction -
be warned, "The Green Mile" is 187 minutes long! - involves the
magic and spiritual good of John Coffey; the appearance of a precocious
little mouse, given the moniker "Mr. Jingles" by the inmate he
adopts, Eduard Delacroix (Michael Jeter); the arrival of inmate
Billy "The Kid" Wharton (Sam Rockwell), a truly evil individual
whose sole pleasure in life is to inflict as much pain on as many
people as he can; and, the addition to Paul's staff of Percy Wetmore
(Doug Hutchison), a sadistic little creep who has his plum, depression-era
job because he is the only nephew of the governor's wife. There's
more, too. All the threads of the story are followed through,
with all loose ends tied. The adaptation by Darabont is about
as faithful to the source material as it can be. Anymore faithful
and it would be a 5 hours long.

Acting, across the boards, is solid. I don't think
there is any one performance that stood out over all the others,
they are all so uniformly well acted. The direction of the actors
is even handed, with the proper weight of each role carefully
written and played. Hanks is, of course, a fine actor and leads
the excellent ensemble cast well. Michael Clarke Duncan is the
personification of John Coffey, giving the man the simple, gentle
nature that belies his size and strength. Michael Jeter, as little
"Dell" Delacroix, is superb as the doomed inmate who Mr. Jingles
comforts in his last days. Sam Rockwell gives complexity to his
perf as the truly wicked and cruel Billy. Also first rate are
David Morse as Paul's right-hand man, Brutus "Brutal" Howell, Bonnie
Hunt as Paul's wife, Janice, and newcomer Doug Hutchison as the unlikable
Percy. Many other fine actors help contribute to the depth of
the characters presented.

The screenplay by Daramont faithfully captures the
body and soul of the King novel - which, in book form, was presented
as a six-volume serial, with each new volume appearing every few
months. There are other side stories in the King work that aren't
delved into, but Daramont captures the essence of what the writer
conveyed in his principle story. What could have been an assembly
of vignettes from the book is a smoothly flowing telling of the
tale.

Technically, the film is a throwback to the craftwork
of the earlier years of film, where the words "special F/X" didn't
yet exists. There are digital effects shown in "The Green Mile,"
but they are not overly done and are accurate to the book's descriptions.
Other F/X consists mainly of lightbulbs exploding. The overall
look of the film is equal to the story and the acting. Cinematography,
by David Tattersall, is excellent with a crisp cleanness to even
the darkest scenes. The production design, by Terence Marsh, of
the Green Mile and the superb 30's period and institutional costuming,
by Karen Wagner, complement the fine production.

"The Green Mile" is too long by 30 minutes but is
so well done and meticulously faithful to the spirit of the Stephen
King yarn, you can forgive it that excess. The excessive length
may hurt it as a box-office draw. I hope not. If they gave out
awards for finest craftwork in the art of filmmaking, this would
be on the list of nominees. I give it an A-.